Jones resolution honors 50th anniversary of district courts

LANSING, Mich. — The state Senate on Tuesday approved Sen. Rick Jones’ resolution to declare June 2018 as the 50th anniversary of the establishment of the Michigan district court system.

“The district court is often referred to as ‘The People’s Court’ because the public has more contact with it than with any other court in the state, due to the fact that many people go to district court without an attorney,” said Jones, R-Grand Ledge. “From small civil infractions and traffic violations to misdemeanor criminal cases and civil wedding ceremonies, our district courts handle a wide variety of cases and issues.

“I sponsored this resolution to recognize the important role that our district courts play in our legal system and pay tribute to all the district judges and court officers for their hard work.”

Senate Resolution 173 states that legislation was passed and went into effect on June 17, 1968 to create Michigan’s district court system.

According to the resolution, district courts have exclusive jurisdiction over all civil claims for damages up to $25,000, including small claims, landlord-tenant disputes, land contract disputes and civil infractions. The court’s small claims division handles cases in which the amount in controversy is $5,000 or less, with the most common civil infractions being minor traffic matters, such as speeding or failure to stop.